Notion of Destiny
by sorakazuma
Summary: Set in the time of Fate/Zero. After a humiliating evening, Saber looks to vent her frustrations to an unlikely ally, and finds that the person she chose to run to might have ended up being a little more than that.


Fate/Zero

(Lancer x Saber)

Diarmuid Ua Duibhne stood tall on the ledge of a thirty-foot building, his poised figure a mere shadow against the city lights as he looked down on the metropolis below. In hand, he clutched the metallic gold shaft of the legendary lance, Gae Buidhe, while the longer metallic sheen of his second polearm, Gae Dearg was impaled in the concrete flooring, always within reach.

He shifted his stance, putting his body against the mighty crimson-colored weapon the way a person would lean against a friend. His orange eyes stared at the flow of traffic below him, the cars and people that passed by completely unaware of the fact that a war was brewing in this country at that very moment. He smiled at the thought; the way of the modern world was astounding, merely too much for his ancient mind to process, and yet, humans had not outgrown their emotion of fear and panic. It was better that he stayed a ghost and that their battle, the battle that could decide the fate of the world, stayed a secret.

'Despite our arrogance, we have not outgrown our own conscious.' He closed his eyes, steeping in his thoughts. 'This is good.'

The air shifted around him and in a split second he went stiff. He jerked up straight, Gae Dearg flying into his hand. The distortion told him that one of the other legendary heroes was nearby and that they were seeking him out, just as he could sense them. His grip tightened on his polearms and he set his jaw, prepared to go full force at whatever was moving towards him.

The flash of silver in the dim light across the roof of the building made him twirl Gae Buidhe around his knuckles, the brilliant golden sheen clearly a warning. "Who's there?" He barked as the gentle sound of footsteps reached his ears.

"It's me." The voice that came at him was soft and undoubtedly feminine, the shadows and the glimmer of silver subsiding as she moved forward into a circle of light. It was the beautiful blonde knight who was richly dressed in blues and thick polished steel armor that was embossed and engraved with gorgeous etchings that only a king could afford to bear.

Diarmuid was taken back by her appearance, though they'd met several times before. "Saber." He addressed her by her servant class, feeling the tension start to ebb out of him, though he did not drop his battle pose. Even if she was the best possible choice he could have picked, it did not mean she was not an enemy.

"You can drop your weapons, Lancer. I'm not here to fight this time." She seemed to be reading his mind, and raised her good hand, showing she had no intention of drawing her sword.

Immediately he straightened and inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. "What are you doing here?" He asked, his amber eyes widening in surprise. "And where is your Master?"

"Lady Irisviel is waiting in the car below us." The woman's green eyes narrowed and she frowned. "Not that it's any of your business."

"Forgive me for asking then," He jabbed Gae Dearg into the ground, once again leaning his weight against it. The corner of his mouth curved upward into a smile. "But you didn't have to answer me either."

Her emerald hues glinted as she glared, but came a little closer to him. She wasn't exactly sure why, but whenever she was in his presence she had this innate desire to be near him. He was ridiculously handsome, and she could agree that as far as men went, he had the perfect build; he was tall and his form-fitting light armor rippled against pure muscle as he moved, but just about every woman recognized that about him almost instantly. Perhaps it was the curse that was said to be placed on him that stated all women would become infatuated with him if they looked at his face, or more precisely, the beauty mark that sat under his right eye, but Saber hardly believed in things like curses.

More than likely, she was drawn to him because he shared the same way of thinking that she did; chivalry in the face of tragedy. They both believed fiercely in the honor and pride bestowed upon them as knights and she felt as if somehow, he was a kindred spirit. Which is why she had come to see him specifically that night.

"…I came to talk to you, actually." She said after a long moment as she stopped next to him.

He blinked, looking over at her questioningly. "About what?"

She pursed her lips. "It's… nothing important really." She told him after another long pause. "I had a very interesting conversation with Archer and Rider this evening… and it left me frustrated…and with more questions."

His brows went up. "That certainly had to be chaotic. I can't see anyone wanting to stay too long in Archer's company," and he flashed a grin to which she only gave him a speculative frown. "But if you have things you want to say, than speak. I will at least listen."

Her green eyes softened and at that she at least looked grateful. "Thank you." She told him.

She launched into the tale of the evening, about how the three of them had sat around drinking and analyzing one another's perspectives. Saber had been put off by the two men, who seemed to think of her as merely a hollow shell of what she should be. Gilgamesh, with his overwhelming arrogance, had berated her into feeling utterly pathetic, and Alexander had shown mixed signs of pity and frustration, as if he were dealing with a small child who didn't understand what he was trying to tell her. Both had clearly lashed hits to her pride as a leader and a knight and they were strikes to an already shredded ego that was sewed together by the scraps of honor she clutched desperately to.

Diarmuid listened, his face showing sympathy and bitter humor. "When you hear it spoken this way, it sounds impossible doesn't it?" He said when she was done speaking and the night had become silent between them again. "Three great rulers sitting around debating about their ideals from three completely different eras in time. It's almost laughable." He smiled at her.

Her face stayed expressionless. "Perhaps they were right." She said slowly. "I was a horrible King… I could not save my people. I am no hero…just a stupid girl trying to fix something that went sickeningly wrong." The man beside her bust out laughing and she glared at him. "You've been no help."

"Are you listening to yourself?" He smiled at her. "You ARE King Arthur. People in this time period know of your name…know your story. That right there is your legacy. Sure your past may have been horrible, and you might regret it, but it's what is done." He had her attention now and he knew it by the look she was giving him. He placed Gae Buidhe on the ground beside him, looking up at her. "The three of you sitting around insulting one another about things that happened hundreds of years ago is going to accomplish nothing. Our pasts might have all been hell, but being able to persevere through that and still hold onto our ideals…. That's why we're all here now." He smiled as he straightened back up to his full height. "Don't take what they said to you to heart… and don't forget who you are."

Her green eyes widened as she looked up at him and then a slow, sweet smile crossed her features. "…I knew you were the right person to talk to about this." She bowed her head. "Thank you, Diarmuid."

"Your welcome, Your Highness." He smiled broadly at her, flashing a hint of his pearly white teeth. She was without a doubt, the only one he had looked at this entire competition. "I look forward to our battle, once it resumes."

"Yes." She met his gaze then and her dark green eyes danced. "As soon as I take care of this…"

Her free hand went to the other she had wrapped at her side…the one that he had injured with Gae Buidhe the first time they had met. He had disabled the use of her Noble Phantasm, causing her overall strength to be hindered dramatically.

To her surprise his grip overlapped hers and he pulled her lame arm upwards, brushing the knuckles of her broken hand against his lips. "I'm almost sorry I did this," He told her, his breath hot against her skin.

Saber's green eyes widened as she stared at him, feeling something warm settle throughout her. "It was the most logical choice." She told him, shocked that her voice came out sounding strong despite her momentary weak spell. "You were clearly intimidated by my reputation. I don't blame you."

"I was intimidated?" His brows went up and he looked at her with surprise. "Is that what you think?" His tone was surprised and a little arrogant, but still overly light.

She got the hint that she had insulted him and the softness disappeared from her expression. "That is what I think. I'm sorry if it offends you."

He chuckled and he smiled, taking her other hand in his free one. "You are too much, Arturia." He said as he squeezed her palms.

Her heart skipped a beat and she pulled away, feeling the heat within her spread to her face. "You are impossible." She snapped at him, wondering why she suddenly felt so overwhelmed. "Do not call me that either…it's too familiar."

"Yet you called me by name." His tone was teasing and playful as he grinned at her. "Is that not fair?"

She looked back at him, debating her options. "You're right. Forgive me, it won't happen again."

"Don't be like that." He huffed, his brows furrowing together. He leaned back against Gae Dearg again, crossing his arms over his impressive chest. "Still…I prefer it actually."

"We are not friends." She took a step back, putting distance between them. He had not taken one single step toward her and yet it felt like he was taking up all the space around her, even the air, so that it was difficult to breathe.

"You're right." His expression solemned, his orange hues glimmering in the dim light. "Still I feel comforted by the fact that the one person I admire from this entire ugly battle thinks enough of me to confide in me."

Saber stared at him with wide green eyes, not sure what she could say to that. She swallowed, nearly putting her back to him. "I think it's about time I take my leave."

"Have a good night." He said casually, though she could hear the twisting of emotion in his voice. She was surprised when she glanced back on him and found him still standing there, watching her with bright, sad eyes and an almost bitter smile. "I'll be waiting for you, Saber."

END


End file.
